I guess I called it by the wrong name. From your explaination I guess you thought I was talking about the pulley that drives the timing belt. It's the pulley that drives the serpentine belt for the alternator and AC. Just can't get the bolt loose and was hoping the reason was that turning it counterclockwise was the wrong way for this particular bolt. That is, it might have been engineered to unscrew clockwise so that it wouldn't come unscrewed as the pulley turned. That's a longshot, I guess, but if I can't get it off with a breaker bar I don't know what I'm going to do - hit it with a hammer, put a torch on it, curse it out.I guess I called it by the wrong name. From your explaination I guess you thought I was talking about the pulley that drives the timing belt. It's the pulley that drives the serpentine belt for the alternator and AC. Just can't get the bolt loose and was hoping the reason was that turning it counterclockwise was the wrong way for this particular bolt. That is, it might have been engineered to unscrew clockwise so that it wouldn't come unscrewed as the pulley turned. That's a longshot, I guess, but if I can't get it off with a breaker bar I don't know what I'm going to do - hit it with a hammer, put a torch on it, curse it out.

I guess I called the pulley by the wrong name - it's the pulley that drives the serpentine belts for the alternator, ac, & power steering pump. Just can't get the bolt that's holding it on loose. Thought there was a small chance that it was designed to unscrew clockwise (so that the turning of the pulley during operation wouldn't unscrew it).If not, if it unscrews counterclockwise like a normal bolt, maybe someone has a trick to get it undone - like heat. I've got a propane torch that I use for soldering copper water pipe joints.I guess I called the pulley by the wrong name - it's the pulley that drives the serpentine belts for the alternator, ac, & power steering pump. Just can't get the bolt that's holding it on loose. Thought there was a small chance that it was designed to unscrew clockwise (so that the turning of the pulley during operation wouldn't unscrew it).If not, if it unscrews counterclockwise like a normal bolt, maybe someone has a trick to get it undone - like heat. I've got a propane torch that I use for soldering copper water pipe joints.

The crankshaft pulley rotates in backward motion. You shoud be able to rotate the pulley until it matches with a mark on the engine or timing cover.
Alternatively try positioning crankshaft pulley at 0 and remove valve cover, and check when intake valve get near to open position, then align to neares mark.

Before removing the crankshaft pulley you will need to remove drive belts as well as the idler pulley bracket, the chain tensioner cover, and to undo one of the engine mounts.

Here is procedure :

Unplug radiator hose .

Take off right side engine under cover.

Loosen the drive belts and proceed to removal. You will have to release AC pulley and power steering pump.

Remove water pump pulley.

Matchmark crank angle sensor to the upper front cover and then remove it.

Use a jack placed under the engine to support it, you will need to remove the engine mount.

Remove the upper engine mount and bracket located at the right side of the upper front cover.

Take off the upper front cover.

Align timing marks on camshaft pulley sprockets and then you can remove the crankshaft pulley.

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They'd be right hand threads-regular threads-to loosen, turn counter clockwise. An air impact wrench is best for removing the crank bolt. Or a long breaker bar and socket on the bolt, if you can hold the crankshaft stable so it doesn't turn backward with pressure on the bolt. You can pull the starter off, and wedge a big screwdriver or prybar against the flywheel's ring gear teeth, then turn the bolt with the breaker bar.

Hi,
The sensor is located to the right of the crankshaft behind the vibration dampner (harmonic balancer). You will need a balancer puller and a special tool to space the new sensor correctly.
(can be done also with eye spacing, but the tool is recommended to ensure proper spacing as to prevent damage to new sensor and / or harmonic balancer.) You will also need a strap wrench to hold balancer pulley in place while removing and re-installing balancer to crankshaft bolt. (helper required)

Procedure for replacement:
Remove negative battery cable.
Set parking (emergency) brake.
Release tension on serpentine drive belt and remove belt from harmonic balancer pulley. ( large pulley at bottom of engine)
Break loose lug nuts on passenger side front tire, do not remove bolts yet.
Raise and support vehicle on passenger side, remove wheel.
Remove plastic splash guard (cover) from passenger side wheel well.
Remove dampner / balancer center retaining bolt (counterclockwise, it is torqued very tight.) Use a strap wrench around pulley and have a helper hold that in place while using a 1/2" breaker bar and socket to turn pulley bolt out of crankshaft. Be careful not to rotate engine in a counterclockwise direction while breaking the bolt loose.
Using balancer puller, remove dampner / balancer pulley from engine.
You will now see the crank sensor to the right of the crankshaft bolted to the timing cover.
Disconnect sensor wiring and remove retaining bolts, remove sensor.
Put new sensor in place and screw in bolts, do not tighten them yet.
Reconnect wiring to sensor.
Now use special tool to properly space sensor. If you cannot find one at the parts store, you can space the sensor with the balancer pully held in place (not installed yet) and space the sensor evenly with the veins on the hub of the balancer pulley. Take your time and be sure it is as evenly spaced as possible.
Tighten sensor bolts.
Clean balancer hub free of any oil and dirt deposits using brake or carbeurator cleaner.
Reinstall balancer to crankshaft by tapping around the inner surface of pulley with a rubber hammer.
It is a press fit, so be sure you have it started evenly and progress slowly in a circular motion to ensure you are keeping it aligned straight with the crankshaft.
Reinstall balancer bolt using the same method as removal, torque bolt to 110 foot pounds, then tap around balancer again twice with rubber hammer, turn the engine 2 full revolutions clockwise using the balancer to crankshaft bolt, then tighten bolt an additional 1/4 turn.
Replace splash guard, put wheel on tightening lugs to finger tight and then wrench tight in a star pattern.
Lower vehicle until wheel makes contact with floor, tighten lug nuts to 115 foot pounds in a star pattern using a torque wrench.
Fully lower vehicle, remove jack.
Re-install serpentine drive belt
Re-connect negative battery cable.

The crankshaft pulley bolt loosens by turning Counter-Clockwise. Ensure the pulley is secure from movement so that you can loosen the pulley bolt without turning over the engine. You may need to use breaker bar to loosen the pulley bolt, or at least a large wrench.

In removing the water pump, these tips would help you carry out the task:

Disconnect the car's negative battery cable.

Drain the engine coolant by opening the drain fitting at the bottom of the radiator with pliers and letting the coolant drain into a large container. Move the container to the drain plugs at the engine block and drain the rest of the coolant from there.

Remove the drive belts by loosening their tensioner lock nuts and adjuster bolts with a wrench and slipping the belts off the pulleys.

Remove the drive belt idler pulley bracket and the right side engine mount with its brackets--support the engine from above with a hoist or engine support fixture, remove the upper mount bracket and through-bolt with the wrench, raise the engine higher and remove the lower bracket and mount.

Remove the timing chain tensioner cover and the water pump cover from the timing chain cover.

Press the timing chain's piston inward. Insert an appropriate size pin into the tensioner hole to lock it in place. Rotate the crankshaft 20 degrees counterclockwise with a breaker bar and socket at the pulley to loosen the water pump sprocket chain.

Remove the pump's two mounting bolts with a wrench. insert two M8 bolts that are three to four inches long into the bolt holes and tighten them evenly until they force the pump out of the engine.

Clean off any corrosion and sealant using a rag with acetone or lacquer thinner. Clean and remove all traces of gasket material from the engine surface.

For the installation:

Install new O-rings onto the replacement pump and apply a light coat of grease to the rings.

Attach the pump to the engine and tighten the bolts by hand first, using a small amount of RTV sealant on the bolt threads. Tighten the bolts in quarter-turn increments to between 61 and 86 foot-pounds.

Rotate the crankshaft 20 degrees clockwise with the breaker bar and socket to tighten the timing chain around the water pump sprocket.

Remove the pin from the timing chain tensioner. Clean off the water pump cover and tensioner cover, apply RTV sealant ot them and install them back on the timing chain cover.

Reinstall the right side engine mount with its bolts and brackets and then lower the engine off the hoist. Reinstall the drive belt idler pulley bracket.

Reinstall the drive belts--check the owner's manual for the routing path--and tighten them with the wrench on the bolts/nuts.

Refill the engine coolant at the radiator filler neck, using a fresh mixture of water and antifreeze if the old coolant is contaminated.

1 Turn
the belt tensioner pulley counterclockwise on the 3.4L modeal. Use a
breaker bar and a socket to rotate the center bolt on the tensioner
pulley. If you have a 3.5L engine model, turn the pulley clockwise.

2
Slide the drive belt off the steering pump pulley.

3
Detach the black ground cable from the battery using a wrench.

4
Position a drain pan under the car in the direction of the steering pump hoses.

5
Move any wire brackets near the steering pump out of the way using a wrench or ratchet and socket, if necessary.

6
Disconnect the return hose from the power steering pump by
loosening the clamp at the steering pump using a ratchet and socket.
Then pull the hose off the pump and let the steering fluid drain into
the pan.

7
Detach the pressure hose from the steering pump by unscrewing
the retaining nut at the pump using a tube wrench. Let the steering
fluid drain on the pan.

8
Unscrew the steering-pump mounting bolts using a ratchet, ratchet extension and socket.

9
Lift the power steering pump off the engine compartment.

Install the New Steering Pump

1
Position the new steering pump in place and start the
mounting bolts by hand. Then tighten the bolts using the ratchet,
ratchet extension and socket.

2
Attach the pressure hose to the steering pump by starting the retaining nut by hand. Then tighten the nut using the tube wrench.

3
Connect the return hose to the steering pump. Then tighten the clamp using the ratchet and socket.

4
Reinstall any wire brackets you had to remove using a wrench or ratchet and socket.

5
Connect the black ground cable to the battery using a wrench.

6
Install the drive belt by turning the tensioner pulley
counterclockwise using the breaker bar and socket. Then slide the belt
over the steering pump pulley. If you have the Aztek 3.5L engine, turn
the tensioner pulley clockwise.

7
Reinstall any wire brackets you had to remove form near the steering pump using the wrench or ratchet and socket.

8
Connect the black, ground cable to the battery using a wrench.

Bleed the Power Steering System

1
Refill the steering fluid reservoir with new steering fluid. Make sure the level reaches the Full Cold mark on the reservoir.

2
Raise the front of the vehicle using a floor jack until the front tires are off the ground. Then support the car on 2 jack stands.

3
Turn the ignition key to the On position but do not start the engine.

4
Turn the steering wheel fully from left to right 15 times.

5
Check the fluid level in the steering reservoir and add if necessary.

6
Lower the vehicle and start the engine. Turn the steering
wheel and listen for steering noises. If you hear noises while turning
the steering wheel, repeat steps 2 through 5 of the bleeding procedure
to get rid of the air in the steering system. Turn off the engine.

Remove the crankshaft damper-to-crankshaft bolt. Hold the crankshaft stationary by placing a suitable tool in the ring gear teeth on the flywheel.
Fig. 1: Use a breaker bar to remove the crankshaft damper bolt
Fig. 2: The crankshaft can be held stationary by using a suitable tool to place between the flywheel teeth
Fig. 3: Be sure to lubricate the threads of the crankshaft damper bolt to obtain a proper torque reading

Remove the crankshaft damper from the crankshaft by pulling it straight off the shaft. A puller may be required to remove the damper from the shaft. Be careful not to lose the woodruff key when removing the crankshaft damper.
Fig. 4: The crankshaft damper can sometimes be pulled from the shaft by hand
Fig. 5: A puller may be required to remove the crankshaft damper
NOTE: If working on a VE30DE or VQ30DE engine, it would be a good idea to replace the crankshaft oil seal when the crankshaft damper is removed.
Fig. 6: The timing chain cover oil seal should be replaced whenever the crankshaft damper is removed; this seal is leaking severely
Fig. 7: This crankshaft damper may have a problem sealing properly due to the groove that was worn into it from the seal
To install:

Install the crankshaft damper onto the shaft, making sure the woodruff key is in place. Dip the damper bolt in fresh oil and torque the crankshaft damper-to-crankshaft bolt to the following specifications:

NOTE
This
is an interference engine. Do not rotate the crankshaft or the
camshafts after the timing belt has been removed. Damage to the valve
components may occur. Before removing the timing belt, always align the
timing marks.

Rotate
the crankshaft until the Top Dead Center (TDC) mark on the oil pump
housing aligns with the TDC mark on the camshaft sprocket (located on
the trailing edge of the tooth).

Loosen the timing belt tensioner lock bolt.

Insert
a 6mm Allen wrench into the hexagon opening located on the top plate of
the belt tensioner pulley. Rotate the top plate clockwise until there
is enough slack to remove the belt.

Set
the crankshaft sprocket to Top Dead Center (TDC) by aligning the notch
on the sprocket with the arrow on the oil pump housing.

Set the camshafts timing marks so the exhaust camshaft is 1/2 notch below intake camshaft sprocket. Make sure the arrows on both camshaft sprockets are facing up

Install
the timing belt starting at the crankshaft, then around the water pump
sprocket, idler pulley, camshaft sprockets and around the tensioner
pulley.

Move the exhaust camshaft sprocket counterclockwise to take up the belt slack.

Insert
a 6mm Allen wrench into the hexagon opening located on the top plate of
the belt tensioner pulley. Rotate the top plate counterclockwise until
there is no slack on the belt. The tensioner setting notch will start
to move clockwise. Watch the notch and continue rotating the top plate
counterclockwise until the setting notch is aligned with the spring
tang. Using the Allen wrench to prevent the top plate from moving,
tighten the tensioner lock bolt to 220 inch lbs. (25 Nm). The setting
notch and spring tang should remain aligned after the lock nut is
tightened.

Rotate the crankshaft 2 revolutions and recheck the timing marks.

Check
the spring tang is within the tolerance window. If not within the
window, reinsert the Allen wrench and into the hexagon opening located
on the top plate of the belt tensioner pulley. Rotate the top plate
counterclockwise until there is no slack on the belt. The tensioner
setting notch will start to move clockwise. Watch the notch and
continue rotating the top plate counterclockwise until the setting
notch is aligned with the spring tang. Using the Allen wrench to
prevent the top plate from moving, tighten the tensioner lock bolt to
220 inch lbs. (25 Nm). The setting notch and spring tang should remain
aligned after the lock nut is tightened.

Install the engine mount bracket.

Install the front timing belt covers.

Install the A/C compressor/alternator tensioner and pulley assembly.

Install the right engine mount.

Install the crankshaft damper

Install the accessory drive belts and adjust to the proper tension.

Install the right inner splash shield and wheel.

Reconnect the negative battery cable.

Perform the crankshaft and camshaft relearn alignment procedure using the DRB scan tool, or equivalent

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it may be easier to attach the breaker bar to the tensioner arm from under the vehicle to relieve belt tension

On 1994-97 2.2L engines and 1994-96 4.3L engines, using a 1/2 in. breaker bar and if necessary, with a socket placed on the tensioner pulley bolt, rotate the tensioner counterclockwise to relieve the belt tension. On some 2.2L engines it may be easier to attach the breaker bar to the tensioner arm from under the vehicle.

On 1998-99 2.2L engines and 1997-99 4.3L engines, using a 3/8 in. breaker bar, rotate the tensioner counterclockwise to relieve the belt tension. On some 2.2L engines it may be easier to attach the breaker bar to the tensioner arm from under the vehicle.

Remove the serpentine belt.

To install:

Route the belt over all the pulleys except the tensioner.

Place the breaker bar and if necessary the socket, on the tensioner pulley bolt and rotate the tensioner counterclockwise to the released position.

Install the belt and return the pulley slowly to its original position. Do not let the pulley snap back into position as this may damage the belt and pulley.